Method of and apparatus for use in drying



Dec. 5, 1933.

AV AV Q Filed Nov. 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l o o n j Q U 0 o 0 0 f o o o a 0 0 5 o o o o o o 0 O 0 014 o o ,2!

I i A a v a? la y-1 (o gt ,liweraior Jana; jl fflac'giuzyes J. N. HARGRAVES ,938,332

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN DRYING Filed Nov. 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 5, 1933.

x Q 0 0 Q Q Q Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF APPARATUS FOR USE IN DRYING chusetts Application November 14, 1930 Serial N0. 495,592

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to a method of and apparatus for use in drying fibrous material, relating more particularly to the drying of textile strands, such'for example as sliver, roving,

5 yarn or the like wound upon spools. In accordance with certain well-known processes of manufacture, the operations of dyeing, bleaching, washing, sizing, etc. are performed while the textile strand is wound upon a large spool, commonly referred to as a dresser spool, usually provided with a hollow perforated barrel permitting circulation of the fluid medium radially through the textile mass on the spool. After any of the above operations it is usually necessaryto dry the material, but this involves the removal of a very large amount of fluid from the saturated material which presents a difficult problem, since the exigencies of modern manufacturing practice will not permit long delays at this stage of 20 the process, while the material, particularly sliver, roving, or soft spun yarn is sometimes wound in a very hard, compact, firm mass upon the spool in order to prevent it from sagging, or slumping down when stood on end during the dyeing, bleaching or similar operations. Various expedients have been proposed for the purpose, as for example, blowing hot air or steam through the material upon the spool barrel; baking with or without air circulation; and other procedures largely depending upon the employment of heat for expelling the moisture. All such methods are necessarily expensive in View of the large quantity of liquid to be removed; they consume a great amount of time; and unless great care be employed there is a likelihood of injury to the textile strand, especially when such strand has little twist and is easily broken e "en by exposure to air currents of high velocity. Other attempts have been made to remove the moisture mechanically, as for example by mounting the spool upon a horizontal or vertical shaft which is rotated by high speed to expel thefluid centrifugally. While the latter procedure has the advantage of high speed and low cost, it has the serious defect of causing the material to become snarled or broken by the frictional action of the air, combined with the outwardly acting centrifugal forces, and furthermore, the fact that such a mass of wet material is not always axially symmetrical, frequently results in throwing the rotating load out of balance, causing'bad running conditions and distortion of the textile mass, such that breakage of its constituent strands is produced.

of moisture from such a mass has certain real advantages, among them speed of operation and low cost, and in accordance with the present invention I retain these advantages, while at the same time I avoid the disadvantages of such method as previously practiced. To this end I provide a substantially rigid, non-yielding sleeve or jacket for the material upon the spool before submitting it to centrifugal action, such jacket surrounding the material so that the latter is shielded from the frictional action of the air and preventing any substantial sh'tof the material by centrifugal force, the jacket having openings or perforations for the escape of fluid, but permitting the individual spool to be inserted in or withdrawn as a unit from the basket without substantial disturbance of the material wound thereon. This jacket may be the main basket itself of a centrifugal machine or preferably a cylinder or sleeve of a size adapted for use with a given spool and which may be placed-with the spool inside it, within the main basket of the centrifugal apparatus. This cylindrical jacket or sleeve, which telescopes within the main basket, may be centered in the latter in any 80 suitable manner, as for example by means or spacing elements such as longitudinal ribs secured to the sleeve. Preferably the main basket receives but a singlespool with its jacket, the spool being arranged coaxially with the basket, 35 although it is conceivable that a plurality of such spools and sleeves may be disposed within a single basket, the surrounding sleeves preventing the distortion of the textile masses even in the latter case. 99

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain desirable forms of apparatus useful in the practice of the method of the present invention, it being understood however that the broad method is independent of the specific apparatus herein disclosed.

In the drawings: 7 Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, illustrating a drying-unit of self-contained type embodying certain-features of my invention and adapted for carrying out my improved method;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, more or less diagrammatic, plan view illustrating means for actuating the brake and the motor switch;

Figs. 3 and 3 are views illustrating a detail of such means;

Figs. 4, 5 and 'lare vertical sections illustrat- 110 on the line ing various ways of mounting spools in the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the jacket shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, partly in vertical sec tion, illustrating apparatus in general similar to that in Fig. 1, but showing a basket and spool retaining means of modified construction.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the apparatus chosen for illustration comprises a. base 1 which may be of cast-iron or other suitable material adapted to rest upon the floor or upona bench in accordance with the size and most convenient mode of use of the apparatus. This base supports a sleeve-like step 2 having a spherically curved socket 3 adapted to receive a bearingcarrying member 4,the'lat"er having a spherically curved surface seating within the socket 3 which permits such bearing member 4 to rock universally. Rotation of the member 4 about its vertical axis is preferably limited as by means of a fixed pin 5 engaging a slot in the member 4. Preferably the member 4 is provided with a downwardly extending projection 6 embraced by a. yielding collar 7 of rubber or the like fitting within the lower part of the step 2. and adapted to prevent excess tilting of the member 4.

The member 4 carries upper and. lower bearings 8 and 9, respectively, preferably of antifriction type within. which rotates the substantially vertical shaft 10. This shaft is provided with an enlargement 11 which may be integral with the shaft or an independent element suitably secured thereto, and' which has a downwardly directed cylindrical. flange 12. constituting a brake drum and a part 13 constituting a drive pulley.

At its upper end the member 11. is secured to the bottom 14 of a centrifugal basket, here shown as having cylindrical side walls 15 provided with suitable perforations for the escape of the extracted fluid; Preferably a fixed. curb 1 6, suitably mounted upon the base 1, surrounds the basket 15, such curb having an opening 1'? at its top giving access to the basket, and a fluid collecting gutter 18 at its bottom from w -ich a drain pipe 19 may extend to any desired point.

The basel is alsoprovided with suitable guideways for an adjustable skid 20 forming a support for the electric motor 21. This motor may be ofany suitable type having a drive shaft carry ing a pulley 21? which receives a belt for driving the pulley 13 of the centrifugal basket shaft 10. The motor is preferably provided with a control switch 22 here shown as a snapswitch having an operating lever 23 (Fig. 3).

The base 1 is provided with bearings for a transverse shaft 25 which carries an 25 adapted to actuate a brake shoe or brake band 27, such shoe or band cooperating with thedrum 12 to stop the shaft 10 when desired.

A bell crank lever is mounted to turn freely on the shaft 25 between collars-24 and 24 fixed to the shaft. This bell crank lever has an arm 28 to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 29, whose opposite end passes through a guide opening in a fixed bracket 30 (Fig. 3) and is provided with an adjustable stop collar 29 This link also carries an adjustable collar 31 having upwardly projecting spaced lugs defining a slot 32 for the reception of the switch lever 23. The bell crank lever also has an arm 33 which'is connected by means of a link 34 to-an actuator, here shown as a treadlelever 35 movable by the foot of the operator torock the bell crank lever. The hub portion of the bell crank lever is provided with laterally projecting lugs 351 and 351 adapted to engage lugs 352 and 352 projecting respectively from the fixed collars 24 and 24 The latter shaft also carries a fixed collar 251 having a lug supporting an adjustable stop screw 252 adapted, when the machine is running, to engage a fixed abutment 253.

The shaft 25 also carries a fixed collar 25 provided with a crank arm 25 to which one end of a spring 25 is attached, the other end of the spring being anchored to a fixed stud in the vertical. plane of the axis of the shaft.

In starting the machine the treadle 35 is so rocked as to rock the bell crank lever and thereby, through link 29, to throw lever 23 so as to close the motor circuit. As the bell crank is rocked, one of the lugs 351 on its hub engages the lug 352 on the collar 24 so as to turn the shaft 25 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, thus retracting the brake to inoperative. position stretching the'spring 25 until the crank 25 passes the vertical plane of the shaft, whereupon the spring contracts and acts to retain the brake in retracted position,the movement of the shaft i being limited by stop screw 252 engaging abutment 253. When the shaft is thus stopped, further movement of the actuator treadle, such as might cause injury to switch lever 23, is prevented by engagement of the lug 352 on collar 24 with the second lug 351 on the hub of the bell crank lever. In stopping the machine, the treadle is rocked in the reverse direction, thus positively movingswitch lever 23 to break the motor circuit,-the resultant movement of the shaft 25 being completed by the spring 25 so as to apply the brake and hold the latter in operative position,the stop collar 29 then engaging bracket 30 to prevent excess movement of the treadle and link 29.

The main basket 15 may'itself constitute the means for peripherally confining the textile mass mounted upon a spool which is removably placed in the basket, the basket in such event constituting the element for protecting and centering the material on the spool.

Since spools may vary in diameter (such spools commonly varying from 5 inches or less to 24 inches in diameter) and since the removal and replacement of the main basket involves some trouble, I prefer to provide a plurality of interchangeable jackets or sleeves, each adapted for use with a spool of a given diameter and being adapted to be received within a centrifugal basket of a size corresponding for example to the maximum diameter of the spool to be used.

Such a sleeve or jacket, as above referred to, is indicated at 36 in Fig. l, the jacket preferably being of metal having perforated walls and usually being. cylindrical for co-operation with the cylindrical yarn mass on the spool, it being oontemplated that if spools or yarn masses of conical or other shape are being treated, the jackets and/or basket may likewise be conical. These jackets, as well as the basket itself, are of rigid Tl construction, that is to say, they will not substantially yieldor expand radially to any appreciable extent when subjected to the centrifugal pressure of the enclosed textile mass. Preferably such a jacket or sleeve is open both at the top and bottom, and is of substantially the same length as the spool over which it is to betelescoped.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, such a spool 38, having a perforated barrel 39 and heads 40 with the yarn mass 41 wound thereon, is disposed within the jacket 36. Since in this case, as in Fig. 1, the jacket is of smaller diameter than the basket 15, it is necessary for best results to space it concentrically with the basket, and for this purpose I may provide spacers such as the longitudinal ribs 37 (Fig. 2) desirably secured to the sleeve or jacket itself, such ribs frictionally engaging the inner surface of the main basket and serving to transmit motion from the basket to the sleeve. Since, in accordance with the preferred arrangement the basket 15 is of the same diameter for all spools, or at least for a suitable range of spool size, the sleeves or jackets must be of different size, as for example as shown in Fig. 5 where the sleeve 36* is of considerably smaller diameter than the basket 15 for the accommodation of a small spool 38. In this event, as indicated in Fig. 6, the spacers 37 are substantially wider radially than the spacers 37 of Fig. 2, it being evident that to permit the interchangeable jackets or sleeves to be fitted snugly within the same basket 15, the spacers will vary accordingly, the outer circumference defined by the spacers always being the same.

As illustrated in Fig. '7, the basket may be deep enough to accommodate several spools with their barrels 39 in axial alignment, and in this event the sleeve or jacket will be of corresponding length.

Under some circumstances it may be found desirable to clamp the spool within the basket instead of depending upon the frictional engagement between the spacer elements of the jacket and the basket for rotating the spool. Thus as illustrated in Fig. 8, apparatus which in other respects is substantially similar to that above described, comprises the vertical shaft 10 corresponding to the shaft 10 of Fig. 1, such shaft being provided at its upper end with a continuation in the form of a spindle 42 adapted to pass upwardly through the hollow barrel of a spool and being screw-threaded at 43 at its upper end for the reception of a clamping nut 45 adapted'to engage a clamping cover member 44 shaped to fit against the upper end of the spool barrel.

Freferably the upper part of the shaft 10 is furnished with a conical boss 46 which assists in centering the spool barrel when the latter is telescoped over the spindle 42, and this boss as herein shown, merges into a substantially horizontal flange constituting the bottom of the centrifugal basket which also comprises the cylindrical side walls 15 In this arrangement, as illustrated,

the yarn mass upon the spool is disposed withinthe basket 15 so as to be shielded from air friction and so that substantial radial displacement of the mass under centrifugal action is avoided. Obviously the apparatus shown in Fig. 8 can be provided with a set of interchangeable spool jackets in the same way as the apparatus of Fig. 1.

It is to be noted that in either arrangement, the spool as a unit with the material wound thereon, is introduced into and removed from the basket, and that the invention is wholly distinct from prior practices of packing loose textile material in a centrifugal basket. The present invention is intended as an improvement in those processes in which the material is subjected to treatments on spools, wherein it has great advantages, not heretofore attained in that particular field.

While I have referred to the use of spools with heads, I regard the invention as of wider utility since it may be applied to the drying of material wound upon headless hollow cores, and while I have herein in certain instances referred to the action as that of drying or removing moisture, I wish it to be understood that these expressions are used relatively as indicating the partial or complete removal as the case may be of whatever fluid may be found in the fibrous mass, and I further wish it to be understood that when in the claims I have referred to the use of a jacket for confining the material, such term is indicated as inclusive of the main basket as well.

It should also be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A centrifugal apparatus of the class described comprising a basket shaft, a brake for the shaft, an electric motor for driving the shaft, a switch for controlling the motor circuit, a rock shaft, a lever loose on the shaft, a link operable by the lever to throw the switch, an actuator for rocking the lever, means for transmitting movement from the lever to the shaft, means carried by the shaft for moving the brake toward and from operative position, spring means tending to retain the brake in either of said positions, and stop means to limit excess movement of the switch operating link in either direction.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a basket shaft, a brake for the shaft, a motor for driving the shaft, a snap switch for controlling the motor circuit, a rock shaft, an actuator for initiating movement of the shaft in either direction, spring means for completing movement of the shaft in either direction, stop means for the shaft, stop means for limiting movement of the actuator in either direction, means for transmitting movement from the actuator whereby to throw the switch, and means operable by the shaft for applying and releasing the brake.

JAMES N. HARGRAVES. 

